Greta Thunberg joined student demonstrators in France on Tuesday, as weeks of clashes with police, mass detentions and widespread school shutdowns intensified over demands for major education reforms.
The 23-year-old Swedish climate campaigner visited a high school in Saint-Denis, north of Paris, where students were calling for additional teachers, improved school buildings and shorter school days, Reuters reported.
French officials say more than 6,800 people have been detained since the protests started in September. While many demonstrations have remained peaceful, unrest in several cities has included fires, barricades and confrontations between protesters and riot police.
Climate activist Greta Thunberg speaks with students outside a high school in Saint-Denis, near Paris, France, on Oct. 13, 2026, as nationwide protests over education reform continue. (JULIEN DE ROSA / AFP via Getty Images)
Thunberg, who became internationally known for launching school strikes focused on climate change, condemned the French government’s handling of the student-led demonstrations.
“We are inspired by the young people who are demanding their basic rights,” Thunberg told reporters, according to Reuters. She characterized the police response as “extremely violent.”
Interior Ministry figures showed that roughly 161,500 people took part in marches nationwide Tuesday, including about 41,500 in Paris. The Education Ministry reported that 214 schools were closed.
French high school students gather outside the Lycee Voltaire high school as part of nationwide protests to demand the hiring of substitute teachers, increased resources and better learning conditions, in Paris, as more than 400 schools remain closed following days of student protests that have escalated into violence in some places, France, October 2, 2026. (Sarah Meyssonnier/Reuters)
KEEP READING: FBI Hits African Scam Compounds With Arrests, Account Takedowns
President Donald Trump addressed the unrest last week, arguing that migration—not the students’ education concerns—was driving the crisis.
“What’s happening in France is nothing less than out of control mass migration. This isn’t about schools, this is about Islam wanting to take over a once great Country!” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Oct. 6.
The protests have emerged as a major political issue ahead of France’s presidential election next May. Jean-Luc Mélenchon, a leading figure on the far left, has accused the government of using disproportionate force against young demonstrators.
Greta Thunberg meets with students in Saint-Denis, France, on Oct. 13, 2026, as demonstrations over school conditions and education funding enter their fourth week. (JULIEN DE ROSA / AFP via Getty Images)
Mélenchon marched alongside protesters in Paris on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Marine Le Pen, the leader of the right-wing National Rally, denounced protest-related violence and said anyone responsible for school damage should cover the repair costs.
Questions about police tactics grew after a 15-year-old boy in Lens lost a hand and part of his lower arm last week. The injury occurred after he picked up a police dispersal grenade that exploded during a demonstration.
Following the incident, French authorities suspended the use of the stun grenade model involved.
President Emmanuel Macron has urged protesters and officials alike to show restraint and pursue dialogue as the nationwide education demonstrations continue.
